


Family Matters

by killerweasel



Series: From Ink and Chalk to Scales and Stars [7]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Kaiju Newton Geiszler, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-28
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-14 00:58:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1246714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerweasel/pseuds/killerweasel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann's siblings are having a bit of a family reunion at the summer house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Happy Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermann and Newt go pick up Bastien from the airport.

_Hermann, why didn't you get a bigger rental car yesterday?_ Newt squirmed around in the back seat, trying to make himself more comfortable. _You should have got a van. I would have fit better in that._

"They didn't have any vans. You should be happy we ended up with one this large." Hermann swatted at Newt's head with his hand. "Will you stay down? The last thing we'll need right now is a crowd trying to figure out what's in the car with me."

 _Bah! They'll just think I'm a stuffed dinosaur or maybe a really bad Godzilla knock-off._ He flopped back down. _Tell me something about your brother. Bastien is the youngest, right?_

"Indeed." A small smile crossed Hermann's lips. "He's a bit like you. He's never been able to sit still for every long. He always needs to be doing something new, something he's never done before. For example, he knows how to play a dozen musical instruments, but only two or three songs on each." Hermann honked the horn and frantically waved his arm. "There he is."

Newt heard the trunk open and close. Then Bastien was getting into the passenger seat. He twisted his head so he could get a better look at the youngest Gottlieb. _Wow, you never said your brother was a hottie, Hermann. He looks like you, only younger. Plus he has a much nicer haircut and better taste in clothing._

Hermann grit his teeth, taking a deep breath through his nose. "Bastien, Newton is in the back."

"I finally get to meet the infamous 'Call me Newt' Geiszler?" Turning around, Bastien leaned over the seat. He blinked a few times when he saw Newt. Newt grinned at him. "Hermann, did you know your boyfriend is some sort of Kaiju? Or perhaps he's a mutated lizard." He raised an eyebrow. "So how do the two of you...?" Bastien made a few motions with his fingers.

Hermann's ears went red as he rested his head against the steering wheel. "Please refrain from asking out things like that right now. I need to concentrate on driving."

Newt laughed with glee. _Oh, I like him. He actually has a sense of humor. He's much funnier than Dietrich._

"Everything is funnier than Dietrich." Hermann narrowed his eyes. "Newton, if you say one word about what he was referring to, you're going be sleeping by yourself tonight. I don't care if he can't hear you."

 _Stop being such a wet blanket._ Newt stuck his tongue out, blowing a rather impressive raspberry.

"Shift over, Newt." Bastien scrambled over the seat into the back as Newt moved out of his way. "I want to get a better look at you."

"I'm going to drive now, in case either of you cares." Hermann started the car, muttering under his breath as he pulled out into traffic.

"Has everyone else arrived yet?" Bastien started to reach his hand out to touch Newt's arm and waited until Newt nodded before making contact. "You feel a bit like my friend's python. I was expecting something more along the lines of a crocodile."

"Karla and the kids came in last night. Dietrich got here this morning. Father's flight won't be in for a few hours, but he's insisting on driving himself." Fiddling with the radio, Hermann settled on a classical music channel. "How long has it been since we were all together at the summer house?"

"Maybe six years?" Sitting back, Bastien threw an arm around Newt's neck. "Newt, has my brother ever told you about the time Aunt Zelda took him to a fair and when he attempted to catch a greased pig for a prize, he fell and ended up riding the pig through the fairgrounds, screaming his head off?"

_You rode a pig?_

"In my defense, the pig was almost twice my size, not to mention very slippery." Hermann turned the music down. "Karla had a slumber party and when Bastien was sleeping, they decided to make him look like a pretty princess."

"Hermann's just jealous I looked so adorable and all they did was paint his toe nails different colors."

 _I wish I'd had siblings growing up. Then I could have blamed some of what I did on them._ Newt tapped Hermann on the back of the head with the tip of his tail. _I love your family, dude._

"So do I, Newton."


	2. After the War Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt gets an unexpected gift.

"Dr. Geiszler, this is for you." Lars held out a large, flat box. 

Newt must have stared at the present for too long because Hermann's cane bumped him gently in the foot. _Hermann, why is he giving me a gift? Is this some sort of a trick? What if it's a weird bomb?_ He reached out, taking the package gently in his claws. Newt used his tail to slip the ribbon free before removing the lid to the box. His eyes widened when he saw what was inside. _Oh wow._

"Hermann informed me your tablet met with an accident on your way to the airport, so I had someone modify this one to many of the original specifications." He watched Newt turn the device on. "Hopefully it will fill in as a substitute until you purchase something else."

 _Hermann, Lars isn't being a bag of dicks for a change. Did he get possessed by nice demons or something?_ Newt held the tablet with his tail as he typed frantically with his clawless thumbs. He pressed a final key with a smile. "Thank you, Dr. Gottlieb. Now I can have actual conversations." The voice coming from the speakers wasn't his own, but it was better than nothing at all. 

Lars tilted his head in Newt's direction. "Dietrich and Bastien are going to help me with the grill. Lunch will be ready in an hour and a half. Karla, why don't you take the children to the lake? Perhaps Hermann and Dr. Geiszler would like to join you."

As Lars headed toward the deck, Newt exchanged a look with Hermann. _What the hell, Hermann? I've had two exchanges with Lars previously and both of them led to us screaming and swearing. And today he gives me an awesome present for no reason?_

"He retired last week." Hermann walked with Newt down the path toward the lake. "Maybe that has something to do with it. Besides, we're no longer on different sides of a conflict. There are no more Jaegers and no need to build any more pointless walls."

_Maybe he's just tired of fighting and needs a break like the rest of us. Everyone's been fighting so hard for so long, we've forgotten what it felt like before the Breach opened._

"I've been thinking about that." Hermann paused, rubbing his temple. "In five years, it'll be something that happened a little while ago. People will still remember where they were when the war ended. In ten years, it'll be something people refer to every once in a while, but the details won't be accurate. After twenty years, a whole generation of children will grow up not knowing what it was like to live in fear of being wiped out. I'm sure some other crisis will rear its ugly head, as things often do, but it won't be the same. Longer than that, it'll be something that happened 'ago' and then 'long ago'. You and I will end up being a sentence or two in some textbook somewhere."

 _Maybe we'll end up in the history books and maybe we won't._ Newt shifted closer to Hermann. _We're heroes. You and me and everyone else who saved the damn world. Without us and without the others, no one would be left to write the books in the first place. For a very brief moment, we knew what it was like to be rock stars and it was fantastic._

"It was, wasn't it?" Hermann leaned in, kissing Newton the end of his nose. "We should get to the lake. I can hear Karla's children hollering for you to join them."

_Are you going to splash around too?_

"I might wade to my knees."

 _That's perfect. I love your knobby knees._ Newt stuck his tongue out at Hermann before dashing off down the path. Hermann smiled when he heard a massive splash followed by the laughter of children.


	3. I Feel Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it helps to talk.

“How is he?” She held up a hand as Hermann started to open his mouth. “Keep in mind I have always been able to know when you’re lying. There’s a tiny little muscle under your left eye that twitches.”

Hermann sighed. “He’s better. Getting away from the Shatterdome has really helped improved his general mood. We purchased two different pieces of property, one for the winter and one for the rest of the year. They’re as isolated as either of us can stand, with the nearest neighbors almost ten minutes away by car.”

“Why didn’t you tell any of us what happened to Newt? Why surprise us like you did?” Karla tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I’m curious.”

“People who know him, people who knew him for years, they tend to get this look of... I guess it would be pity. Or they’re completely horrified. I’m not sure which of those hurts more.” He closed his eyes. “They’ll cover it up with a nervous laugh or something else, but by that point it is too late. He’s already seen. If I’m nearby, I can feel how upset it makes him. We’re connected in ways most Drift partners never will be.” 

Karla set her hand on Hermann’s back. “I’m assuming it wasn’t like that with everyone.”

“There are a few who treat him exactly the same as before and they’re sincere about it.” Hermann chuckled softly. “Hannibal Chau, I’m sure you’ve heard of him, he didn’t even blink when he saw Newton. He just smiled and took him out to lunch.”

Staring out at the water, Hermann watched Newt splash around with Karla’s children. The twins, Andrew and Jack, were hanging off of Newt’s tail, laughing like maniacs while Sophia had wrapped herself around Newt’s neck like a monkey. He could see the joy on Newt’s face as they played together. 

“He was terrified of coming here.” Hermann’s hand trembled as he rubbed his temple. “Aside from Father, Newt had never met any of you before he became a Kaiju and he was afraid of how everyone would react. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous as well.”

“I was watching you, not him, when I called the children outside to meet Uncle Hermann’s friend. You were so relieved when the children ran right over to him.” 

“Sophia hugged his leg and called him a ‘pretty dragonsaurus’.” Hermann leaned against his sister, resting his head on her shoulder. “They see him as something amazing and wonderful, which he is. He just needed to hear it from someone other than myself.”

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Karla’s voice was soft. Her hand moved in small circles on Hermann’s back. Something crossed over Hermann’s face. It was there and gone so quickly she thought she’d imagined it. “You don’t have to tell me.”

Hermann was quiet for so long she didn’t think she was going to get an answer. Then he cleared his throat. “There was an accident in the lab. He’s very cautious working with bits of Kaiju because most of it can be toxic. Newt always wears gloves, always follows rules he put in place himself back when the war started. He was dissecting a random bit from one of the final Kaiju and I remember he was very excited about it because there wasn’t any record of anything like it before.”

He bit his lip. “At first I didn’t know what had happened. He was... screaming. I thought he’d cut himself with the scalpel because that had happened a few times before. It turned out to be far worse. Newt used the chemical shower on his arm and the rest of himself, but it was too late. Something from the sample splattered just above his glove and soaked into his skin.”

Hermann had gone incredibly tense under Karla’s hand. She kept rubbing between his shoulder blades like she used to when they were children and something bad had happened. “Hermann...”

“It started out small, just a little rash on his arm. We didn’t think much of it. The doctors gave him some creams. Then it started to spread. His normal skin peeled like he had a sunburn, but what was underneath was no longer human. That’s when we both grew concerned.” Taking a deep breath, Hermann sat up straighter. “The changes that followed were rapid and severe. I will spare you the details. It became so bad they put him into a medically induced coma because nothing they gave him would counter the pain properly. I could feel some of what he was experiencing, it spilled over into our connection, and it made the agony in my hip and leg seem like nothing.”

The children waved their arms, motioning for Hermann and Karla to come join them in the water. Karla waved back. “Give us a few minutes. Andrew, be careful with that floaty, you don’t want to get it stuck on Newt’s head.”

“I thought I was going to lose him. We’d saved the world. We’d managed to survive the war on the frontlines and I had no idea if he would even wake up again.” Hermann rose to his feet. “When I heard his voice in my head after he woke up, I thought I was going to collapse. He was still Newt. He might look different on the outside, but his mind and personality are exactly the same.”

“He’s a good man, Hermann. And so are you.” 

They walked down to the edge of the water together. Newt had a ring floaty wedged on his head and was trying to get it loose without puncturing the plastic with his claws. Hermann laughed. 

_Less laughing and more helping. This thing is stuck!_

“Come over here and I’ll save you from the evil floaty, Newton.” Hermann rolled his pant legs up before walking out in the water. 

_Did you have a good talk with Karla? You look... lighter._ Newt held still as Hermann attempted to take the beach toy from his head. _For a while you felt sad, but then it went away. Are you okay?_

When Hermann found the air nozzle, he let some of the air out. It wasn’t long before Newt was free. “I’m fine, Newton. How are you?”

_I’m fine too._


	4. Relaxed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If things had been different, where would they be now

Hermann stared up at the stars as he floated quietly on the raft. He could hear Newt splashing at the far end of the lake, chasing after some fish for a late night snack. He felt a flash of joy as Newt was finally successful. Hermann smiled to himself. 

The last week had been more enjoyable than he'd expected. In some cases it had been years since he'd seen his siblings in the flesh. His father had continued to be in good spirits, actually encouraging everyone to have fun and even going so far as to organize a few games. While Newt couldn't participate in all of them, he'd been a great cheerleader on the sidelines. 

_Hermann?_ Newt's head popped out of the water on Hermann's left. _Are we still leaving tomorrow?_

Hermann stretched his hand out, rubbing his fingers gently along the ridges on Newt's nose. "Everyone's heading back home. I suppose I could ask Father if we could stay longer. We don't really have anything important to rush back to." 

_Even if he says no, I want you to know that this, all of this, was good for us. I don't mean just you and me. I mean everyone._ Newt shifted a little, groaning softly as Hermann's fingers stroked the underside of his jaw. _We needed to remember what life used to be like before the world went upside down._

"Normal seems so long ago. The last decade felt like a lifetime." Hermann sighed. "Do you mind pushing me into shore? I've been in one position too long and everything is starting to get that horrible pins and needles feeling."

 _Sure, just hang on._ Newt wrapped his hand carefully around the back of the raft, making sure not to pop it with his claws. He didn't think Herman would be very amused if the raft started to sink. _By the time the war ended, I felt older than I was. I spent most of my life wishing I was older so people would take me a bit more seriously, you know? Then when I got there, I wanted to take it back. Did you ever wonder what you'd be doing right now if the Breach had never opened?_

"I don't know. There were things I always wanted to do, places I wanted to see, but I never put the effort towards it because it didn't seem as important as what I was doing." Hermann frowned. "Perhaps I would have done something with the space program. What about you?"

 _I had a band back in college. We were horrible, which is why people liked us. Maybe Black Velvet Rabbits could have opened for some good bands before fading away. I'd still be covered in ink, though the monsters would probably from science fiction and horror movies. I always wanted to dig up dinosaur bones like Alan Grant._ Newt grinned. _And before you say anything, I am aware he's a fictional character, Hermann._

Before long, the raft bumped the shoreline. With Newt's help, Hermann got to his feet. He held onto Newt's shoulder as he stretched a little, working the last of the stiffness out of his joints. "Speaking of dinosaurs, did you bring the film with you? We haven't seen it in a while and I'm starting to feel the need to mock that rock star mathematician's Chaos Theory again."

 _Of course. I stuck it in the bottom of your suitcase when you weren't looking._ Newt snagged Hermann's cane from the ground with his tail. _I'll get the movie and your laptop if you make some popcorn. Deal?_

"Deal."


End file.
